


In the gracious light

by Minne_My



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Flirting, Food, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28880175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minne_My/pseuds/Minne_My
Summary: Lin brings his new crush over to granny's restaurant
Relationships: Jack Robinson/Lin Chung
Kudos: 13
Collections: Miss Fisher's Sonder Stories





	In the gracious light

Jack tried not to let their questioning stares get to him. He wasn't on his territory and relied on his host to ward potential threats off although if a police presence was needed, he'd have no hesitation in stepping up. They settled in a corner table and Lin enquired as to his comfort, ordered a pot of deliciously fragrant tea and settled back for a long chat. It wasn't that a round eye was at their establishment. It was that he was in the company of a fellow Chinaman that drew the scrutiny. The other diners soon concerned themselves elsewhere, leaving the men alone. Two cups were placed on the table and the tea was shared between them. Intimacy simmered between them and Jack basked in it, warmed by the glow of the red lighting and the light gaze on him. It was almost like a date, although he would have not used that terminology. Nothing to see here. Just two men sitting down to dinner.

'You don't mind that I'll order for us? I'm sure I know what will be to your taste.'

Jack signalled his acquiescence. He liked decisiveness in a man. He looked at the cup. There was no handle. He'd never seen anything like it before. He approached it gingerly, testing the heat through his fingers.

'Grip it gently from the top and hold it in the base of your hand' instructed Lin.

Jack did as he was told and was gratified to find that it worked just as promised.

'Turn it round in your hand when it gets too hot. Blow on it. Now sip.'

He sipped. It was wonderful. He'd expected jasmine tea to taste like perfume but it was crisp, dry but not too dry. Comforting. Just the thing for a cold winter's night.

One of the things Lin enjoyed about the other man was his willingness to try foreign foods with no bias. D.I. Robinson treated everyone fairly and took no notice of the fashion to be aggressive towards strangers. He'd dined in Italian and French restaurants, at Jewish households and had even partaken of a bubbling stew made in a cauldron offered by a Catalan circus troupe. He would try any food once. The two men had coincided at Stranos, having arrived at rush hour and was sat down at the same table by the tall handsome hostess in order to accommodate everyone. She apologised but they didn't mind. Jack was obviously a regular as she poured him a particular wine straight away and chose his dinner quickly. Lin asked for a recommendation and went for the veal. Both Jack and Concetta could tell that this was a gentleman of refined taste, from his tailored suit to his cravat. Both men had a book with them and didn't concern themselves with each other. Lin ate and left in haste. But every so often they bumped into each other around the city, several times at Stranos where Lin had decided that he liked Italian food and would continue to work his way through the menu. Concetta always seated them as near as possible to each other and observed. Often they ordered the same wines. She made sure that both men would see her attending both tables and when she moved, they would see one other. It had taken the best part of a year when Concetta had observed with satisfaction, they had started to make conversation, sitting at the same table with intent and sharing a carafe of wine. When it was quiet, she herself occasionally sat by him for a few minutes to talk. Men needed friends and the policeman seemed rather too solitary for his own good.

The food arrived and Jack looked hungrily at the offerings in their round little bowls. He was what could be described of as a lean and steady eater. Lin saw the gleam in his eye when he mentioned his family's restaurant. Police work was a tiring business and Jack had been running on empty. Jack picked up the chopsticks and wondered how they could hold anything. Lin took his up and manipulated them between his fingers to show how to pinch and lift the meat and vegetables, the way to season with soy sauce and vinegar and how to scoop sticky rice up with the tricky little implements. Jack valiantly strived to learn and by the end of the meal, had managed more than he realised.

'This is some of the best food I've ever eaten' he exclaimed, tasting the beautifully flavoured pork with the greens. It tasted every bit as good as it smelled and he knew it wouldn't be his last try. He'd master the strange art of chopsticks for another taste of this wonderful food. Lin smiled, enjoying the appreciation. He had been suspicious of D.I. Robinson at first, believing that all white people were under the impression that his people were involved with opium. Jack's steady gaze and calm voice was reassuring, had afforded his family with respect. He'd not presumed as most people did and Lin valued that.

He was listening intently to the reasoning behind Chinese dishes, the flavours, ingredients and balancing out the different tastebuds in each meal to harmonise the body's equilibrium. He'd never heard of such a thing and was fascinated to know more. Lin, for his part, was looking forward to their upcoming evening to the opera. Phryne Fisher had begged off their date with the excuse of a Latvian lover. He thought he'd misheard but no, it was a Latvian, not a Latin man she'd got the hots for. He'd offered the spare ticket to the off-duty policeman last minute.

' _Opera? I don't know. I'm more of a Shakespeare man myself.'_

Lin was sure that he could make a good case for it. He took up his teacup and sipped, looking over at his new paramour. It would just be another night at the opera as far as grandmama could see, she couldn't object to culture. Moreover, what she didn't know, she couldn't put a stop to.

' _What's your favourite play?'_

_Jack considered it for a while. He was about to speak when Lin raised a hand. This warranted longer, maybe an evening's worth of conversation. Lin was educated at Eton and was familiar with Shakespeare. But he never had much passion for it, although he had enjoyed a particularly good performance of 'All's well that ends well' from a touring amateur dramatic society._

' _What's your favourite line out of any of them?'_

_Jack unconsciously took up a stance like he was about to deliver a soliloquy. Lin looked at him with affection, from a vantage_ _point that only the other man could see._

" _He kissed—the last of many doubled kisses—_

_This orient pearl."_

Jack spent a lot of the evening talking about the sonnets. He and Lin agreed that they particularly liked the satirical Sonnet 130. An unconventional sonnet of devotion. Jack's choice of quotes didn't go unnoticed. Lin was looking forward to discussing Shakespeare more in depth. Wanted to feed the other man a morsel. A risky move. But something in Jack's expression had hinted that he wouldn't be averse to it. He hinted as much when he encountered a bao bun.

'Now that looks like quite a mouthful' he said. Lin expertly diced it and took his guest's chopsticks to show him how to pick it up. There was a brief hesitation, a flash of daring in Jack's eyes and without checking to see if they were being observed, Lin brought it up to his mouth. Jack leaned forward and like quicksilver, grabbed it like a seagull, a hint of a satisfied smile on his face as he chewed. Lin placed the chopsticks back where they belonged and picked up his own, ready to demolish his portion. No words were needed. They looked at each other. Lin looked grave but his eyes said otherwise.

Nobody had noticed. Jack sat back, more relaxed. They sipped more tea. Lin was now looking forward to the opera more than ever. He had booked an exclusive opera box in the shadows and had planned on bringing a large box of chocolates to share. Jack would like that.

After all, grandmama had warned him enough about the distraction of white girls. She had said nothing about white boys.


End file.
